The boy who knew how to fly
by TheLonelybard
Summary: Almost three years after the Darlings' adventure in Neverland, Wendy meets a charming boy her age who strangely resembles the one she dreams of at night. She vaguely remembers her old bedtime stories and was surprised to have strong feelings for them...and for an important person she could not forget. A continuation of the 2003 movie–(Wendy/Peter)
1. Chapter 1

_First time writing a fanfic! I hope I didn't mess up too much. Anyway, I was inspired by Coldplay's song "Clocks" to write this as I imagined the things that could've (and should've!) happened to Peter and Wendy. I wanted to see how my imaginations go as I write;) Will lead to romance but nothing sappy, I promise. So, this chapter will be kind of like a prologue to give an idea of the setting I was thinking about. Again, I'm a first timer and writing is something that I want to improve on, so please R &R!_

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Days turn to months, and months turn to years.

And in this particular city where buildings huddled close in the crisp night air, a girl lay awake in her bed.

She had elegant light brown curls and clear blue eyes that glistened with the moonlight shining in through her bedroom window. As she continued staring out into London, she spotted the two familiar brilliant stars that had intrigued her.

The girl had not been able to sleep well. Many things were on her mind that night.

In fact, she had only recently gotten her own bedroom. The nursery she shared with her two younger brothers was deemed inappropriate for a young lady of her age.

She could not help but wonder if her decision to grow up so early was the best one. Her father had, one breakfast, suddenly declared that she was too old to be staying in the nursery with her brothers. Of course, she knew that it would be done sooner or later; after all, she was turning sixteen in a few weeks. But she wished she could delay the change.

Once, she had thought that growing up would mean that she was old enough to find her own adventures and to work hard to fulfill her dreams. However, she found that attending parties and social events applied more to the life of an adult, besides the monotonous jobs they had. Most of the adults she knew did not care for thrilling voyages or exciting careers. They strived to mingle with the elite and maintain good social status, always trying to win the favor of people from the upper class. _Or maybe this is about marriage_ , she thought. Indeed most of the people she had seen attend these gatherings were young women of her age and older. Her mother had frequently taken her to these events with the urge of her aunt Millicent, who believed that she would learn much more about being a proper lady and stand out from other girls if she was introduced into the society earlier.

"But why is it so important for me to stand out, mother?" She had asked on her third garden party.

"You will understand in due course, my dear. Personally, I think it is a little too early to have you experience all this, but your Aunt Millicent think it is a good idea."

"It is a _wonderful_ idea." Her aunt had showed up then. "Wendy, sweetheart, you will be thankful to your mother and I one day when you find yourself a good husband."

"Husband?" The young girl repeated in surprise.

"Oh come now, it is never too early to think about your future. We simply want the best for you, don't we, Mary?"

"Yes, I do suppose. George seems to think this also." Wendy's mother looked slightly hesitant yet had no choice but to entertain her husband's sister.

Wendy did not enjoy the gatherings she had been attending, but she knew her aunt too well to decline her invitations.

 _Aunt Millicent will have her way even if I said no_.

As she sighed, her thoughts came to an unexpected recollection of her days of storytelling, sword fighting, and flying around with her brothers and…and Peter Pan. These days her memories of him and Neverland were becoming hazier than ever. She could no longer remember the details here and there, such as Tinkerbell's sound and even Hook's face. Peter was also slowly fading away from her life. She knows his figure well, but had trouble picturing him in detail. His face was a constant blur now, and their adventures, an unreliable tangle of mixed memories. One thing she was certain to never forget though was the feelings she had when she first encountered the amusing boy. As if it was yesterday, she could clearly remember how Peter lost his shadow in their house and later taught them to fly. Strange how everything that had happened in London was so transparent because her time in Neverland now felt like nothing more than a dream. It was very frustrating, to say the least.

Wendy was quite sure that John and Michael had also forgotten most of their time in Neverland for they sometimes had trouble comprehending what their adopted brothers, and cousin, were talking about when they relived their adventures during dinner.

However, in the recent year, the lost boys were also missing pieces in their stories. They had trouble recalling the parts they had easily remembered only months before. And now, all of them doubted that Peter even existed. John and Michael's convincing them that it was just Wendy's favorite bedtime story did not help.

All alone in the dark bedroom with thoughts swirling in her head, Wendy suddenly felt very lonely.

She never stopped thinking about Peter, especially whenever she looked out of tall windows into the night. But now, it was getting more difficult to keep herself from forgetting the boy who could fly.

 _I miss him._ She thought.

 _I miss the way he smiled before leading us all into a dangerous adventure, I miss the mess of blond curls on his head, and I miss the fun we all had when we played father and mother…_

And then there was his promise. Wendy knew she should have disregarded Peter's words the night they parted ways, but deep down she had realized that she would always be waiting for him, even when her senses told her to stop hoping.

But she shrugged the feeling off, as always, and blamed her strange thoughts about Peter on the yearning for another chance to be younger. Of course, it was ironic, she thought, because she _was_ young. But then again, the memory of her and Peter in Neverland never ceased to replay itself in her mind. Disturbed as she was about this, Wendy was always quite happy and often times found herself unconsciously smiling to the imagination of the boy's voice.

Her friends at school were asking her who she was thinking about, but she merely replied that it was their pet dog, Nana, who pulled stunts around their house.

Now feeling a little more miserable than before, Wendy decided to sleep away her troubled thoughts. But what she failed to notice that night, and on many other previous nights, was a faint glimmer of golden light outside her window.

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 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for checking out my story! Will keep sharing my imaginations:D I'll get to the point where they meet again, I promise! but for now, enjoy the quick update...

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Chapter 2

 _Almost three years ago…_

On the other side of the two brilliantly gleaming stars, there lived a boy–the only boy who Wendy ever really thought about, and the boy who showed her how to fly.

He found himself without his usual band of troublemakers…his accomplices in their daring escapades.

He had sent them away from his home here in Neverland, giving them a chance to grow up with loving families. He was sure that he did the right thing and that the Darlings were great hands to be in. But now after he did that _supposedly_ right thing, he felt different…

He felt, for the first time in a very long while, lonely.

"Tink, what say you to another firing session with the cannons?" Said the boy with an energetic tone.

The glowing fairy beside him only rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

They were aboard what was formerly known as the Jolly Roger. The ship, which had belonged to Hook, was now named the Jolly Fairy. It now had a winged female figure as its figurehead, thanks to the work of Tiger Lily and the Indians.

The blond-haired boy sporting a mischievous grin was wearing Hook's hat, which was a little too big, but suited him very well. His fairy companion did not share his enthusiasm, which lacked realness, and she told him just that in the sound of tiny bells tinkling.

"I am being real! The realness in my voice must be lost to you through the many cannon firing sessions that we had earlier."

But deep down, he knew that Tinkerbell was right. He did feel empty these days no matter how much he did not want to admit it.

" _Peter, don't go."_

" _Then come with me!"_

" _I can't fly."_

" _I'll teach you."_

The first time he saw Wendy and the night they first met each other seemed like yesterday, but felt like years ago to Peter. He did not know what this bugging feeling was.

He told himself that he would never be happy where Wendy and the Lost Boys were, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. Neverland provided endless possibilities of adventure and yet Peter had not felt like himself ever since he parted ways with his friends…especially Wendy, who he thought about the most.

A day passed. Then three more… and then a week…

Still, Peter never did feel better about leaving London alone.

Time never seemed to pass here in Neverland. He always liked having as much time as he wanted to amuse himself. Now, every day felt like an eternity and he wished for it to pass quicker. However, he had not know what he was hoping for; what is the point of wanting the days to pass when he had nothing to expect at the end of it?

Was he hoping for something after all?

Feeling particularly weird and worn out that evening, Peter sat down by Mermaid Lagoon where Tiger Lily was glaring at a mermaid with long dark hair. She abruptly turned to the boy and dismissed the mermaid who silently disappeared into the water, all the while eyeing Peter.

"What is the Indian princess doing alone here this late at night?" He inquired.

The girl looked away and started walking towards him, pretending to be disinterested.

She then stared pointedly at Peter with her arms crossed and her chin high.

"I was just passing by, don't mind me." He replied.

"We all know mermaids have to do with the dark and mystical. Why are you here, Peter Pan?" Tiger Lily spoke in her own Indian tongue, which Peter quite understood.

"I…I was just...checking to see if they are gone." He paused, struggling to think of a better explanation. "The one with the dark hair who was talking to you… yes, her. They have told me that she had shiny pearls each as big as a cannon. I was trying to take one for myself. "

"And who exactly told you about this?" The princess was not amused.

"The… the Indians…?"

"Well, how come I did not know about this?"

"Liar, you knew too, that's why you're here now looking for it."

Tiger Lily sighed exaggeratedly and sat down beside him. "What is wrong with you Peter? Lately you have been very…distracted."

"I am not." He refuted weakly. "I was just tired, that's all. Flying back and forth to Neverland is a very tiring journey."

Tiger Lily glanced around and looked like she was debating with herself before producing a small flask with dark purple liquid in it.

"Well, I for one never tire from my journeys to London."

"You have been to London?" Peter could not contain his surprise. He almost jumped back.

"Yes, you see… whenever you visit London, you grow slightly older there because time actually passes. That's why you feel so tired. You are getting old." She said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

"That explains everything…" The boy now wore the look of complete understanding. _I grew slightly older!_ He thought. _I went there and became more of an…adult_ –he grimaced as he hated the idea–a _nd now I am starting to think and feel like an adult._

"But I have never worried about it because I have my potion with me." She glanced down at her flask.

"What's in it?" He finally noticed the flask in Tiger Lily's hands.

"I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to anyway."

"Tell me! Or I'll…I'll…" He faltered, for he had not been feeling very eager to do anything recently and his imagination failed him in that short second.

"You'll what? Throw me in the water?"

"Exactly." Peter grinned slyly with his hands on his hips, now hovering above the girl.

"Then this flask will drown with me as well as its contents."

"We wouldn't want that now, would we? So…why don't we go and play a game of Find-the-flask? Whoever can find it first will get to keep it! And of course, get to know what it is for."

"And why would I do that?" asked Tiger Lily with a genuinely confused expression.

"Because if you don't, I shall pry it out of your fingers by force." He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Unimpressed, Tiger Lily pouted and looked away. Then after a moment, she suddenly looked up to Peter and said, "Fine, I will play if the winner also gets some of Tinkerbell's fairy dust."

"Why would I want Tink's fairy dust?" Peter asked.

"You think you have won, but you won't. I know, let's ask the mermaids to hide the flask for us." She suggested.

"Why the mermaids?" The boy flew back down with a suspicious look on his face.

"Because they are impartial. Pretty much everybody else could be your ally."

"Fair enough. Let's call them out–" He let out a soft whistle, his way of letting the mermaids know of his presence.

A head popped out of the water, and then two more. They slowly approached him, never taking their eyes off the two humans. Tiger Lily told them to hide the flask and so they did.

For the first time since he came back from London, Peter was actually excited about something. He believed that this flask promised to him the answer to all of his doubts and he wanted it badly.

Excitement evident in his clear eyes, Peter smiled.

"Now, let's go treasure hunting."

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 _To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Short scene this time. Will update more very soon;)

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 _Chapter 3_

Peter and Tiger Lily were both deep in the woods. The sun would rise soon, and they have yet a flask to find.

The boy flew all around Neverland, one of Hook's binoculars in his hands as he searched high and low for the bottle of purple potion.

Not one stone was unturned when he came back from Skull Rock, and he even made sure to ask all of the Indians if they had noticed anything new in their tents.

Tiger Lily on the other hand was leisurely walking by Mermaid Lagoon after a quick search in the Black Castle. In truth, she did not mind losing to Peter. Seeing him cheer up a little made her smirk. They were not enemies after all.

What Peter did not know was that Tiger Lily had something else in her mind.

"Tiger Lily." came a sweet melodious voice from the waters. It was the mermaid with long dark hair that she was conversing with the day before.

"Come, my dear…tell me, how is the boy faring?" She smiled innocently, her hair floating around in the water, making her look even more supernatural than she already was.

The Indian princess approached the mermaid and bent down to whisper. "He is doing well, and more serious than I thought. Perhaps we could let him have the flask now? I'm tired of playing this game… and I'm tired of playing _your_ games. When are you going to give me an answer?"

"Patience, child. You will have what you seek once Peter Pan returns to London."

"How do you know if he will?"

"You will convince him just like you have done before."

"Alright…but it won't be easy. What is your plan with him anyway? Send him back to London to find Wendy?"

"You ask too many questions, my dear. Just follow my instructions and you will get what you want. I promise that Peter will not be harmed. I just wanted to see the Darling girl here again, that's all. Peter will convince them to come back and I can finally have someone to play with."

"Fine, but if Peter is hurt in any way, I will not tolerate it…though I don't really care what you do with the girl."

"Don't worry, the potion will only do him good. In fact, I think it's time to let him have it, don't you think?" The mermaid smiled sweetly.

"Yes, I guess so. And I only have to tell him that it stops him from growing? What if he asks me how I went to London? We both know that's a lie."

"Just tell him you went there the same way he did it. He will be too preoccupied with the potion to pay attention to your story." She said this as she handed Tiger Lily the flask with purple potion. Tiger Lily nodded and started walking away.

"And remember, I want the pixie dust for my pretty hair."

As the Indian girl turned around to reply, the mermaid was already gone. Not even a ripple in the water was seen.

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 _To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

So...back to Wendy! The beginning story is turning out to be a little longer than I thought, but I think it's all good:D I probably will update more consistently and try to keep things going faster. Thanks for reading! I hope you guys liked it...? And please R&R! :)

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Chapter 4

Wendy started her Sunday morning with a recital from a local opera singer. She could not quite understand why everybody seemed to enjoy such high pitched screaming, and doubted if she'd ever grow to get used to it at all. In the afternoon, there was a birthday party for the youngest son of the Whittingtons, which ended in another invitation to an upcoming private ball hosted by the wealthy Charles Benmore.

Aunt Millicent was very delighted that day as she was making acquaintances with influential people in London. Not only was the Benmore family wealthy, but they also owned most of the textile factories in the country. It was rumored that the only family that could compete with the Benmores in influence is the Pallisers. Edwin Palliser was one of few men who managed to inherit a large sum of money from his uncle since he had no children. The uncle also happened to be a baron and owned a large plot of land, which Edwin used to substantially fund railway constructions.

When the sun had almost set, Wendy was ushered into a coach by her aunt. Her parents were already inside, and she had to sit next to the lady who had been commenting on her dress and hair for the past two hours.

The theatre was bustling with colors when Wendy and her family arrived. Gentlemen and their ladies in elegant finery made their way into the grand building. Seeing this, George Darling swallowed nervously and nodded to himself several times while his wife Mary smiled reassuringly beside him.

As they made their way into the theatre, Wendy thought she saw a glimpse of familiar wild, blond hair out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned to have a better look, it was a middle-aged gentleman with his blonde wife.

The play started in less than half an hour. By then George had managed to greet several managers from the bank where he works, though nothing much had actually transpired between them other than some awkward pleasantries and short conversations.

The Darlings were seated many rows further from the middle of the room. Wendy could barely see the faces of the actors who donned extravagant costumes and became a little irritated with her tendency to squint. So instead, she looked around the room, looking up at the elaborately painted ceiling and making sure that her disinterest in the play was not apparent.

 _I would need to have my own set of binoculars the next time we attend a play_ , she thought.

Then her eyes wandered to the people in front of her and settled on the man several rows in front, standing up and leaving the room. He had the most tousled hair she had ever seen on a gentleman, and when he turned sideways, Wendy realized that he looked very young indeed. In fact, she could have sworn that she had seen him before somewhere. Just then, the play reached the point where its main protagonists began sword fighting and Wendy became distracted.

 _The count should have had fairer hair…and that traitor of a businessman could have used more interesting props instead of a wooden leg. Perhaps a wooden arm? Or better yet, a hook for a hand!_

Wendy grinned to herself, imagining the scene she played out in her mind. It was then that she suddenly remembered that the man she saw leaving the room was perhaps someone she had seen in her dreams.

After her sixteenth birthday, Wendy had become even more immersed in the social activities her aunt orchestrated. She even had to attend classes on embroidery and horseback riding, not to mention ballroom dancing.

 _Why couldn't I have fencing classes? Or maybe tennis?_ Was her question to her parents when she was forced to attend those lessons, and Mr. Darling said, "Every proper girl in London has to learn these skills, Wendy. It might sound unpleasant at first, but I am sure that you will learn to at least enjoy one of the classes."

"Your father is right Wendy, you are finally turning into a woman after all." Mrs. Darling had said with a proud smile.

The young girl had since been so busy attending school, classes, and social gatherings that she began to forget more of her memories in Neverland. But now, it seemed that everything was starting to come back to her.

There were pirates, the Lost boys, her brothers… and a little fairy. There were also mermaids and Indians…and of course, the most important part of her adventure there started with the boy who taught her how to fly. She formed a startling realization that those memories that she thought were dreams, were in fact, real events.

Her eyes darted to the spot where she had seen the familiar young man, but he was nowhere to be seen.

 _Could it be?_

Just in time, the play reached a brief intermission and the curtains were lowered. People here preferred to stay seated as it was deemed proper, but Wendy saw this as a chance to leave.

"Wendy, dear, where on earth are you going?"

"I just need to get some fresh air, aunt Millicent. I don't feel very well" She lied.

"Well alright then, I suppose it is fine, though I prefer that nobody leaves at all. This is just a very brief intermission after all, and not a break."

"Yes, aunt Millicent. I shall be back here before the next scene." Wendy promised to her rather reluctant aunt.

"Do you need me to accompany you, sweetheart?" Her mother offered.

"No, thank you, mother. I will be fine by myself." She smiled gently at her parents, trying to look weary and slightly ill.

As her legs took her out of the crowded room, she realized she was walking increasingly faster. Her heart pounded in anticipation and hope. She turned corners and even wandered outside, and when she finally saw the blond haired figure heading back towards the play, she nearly ran. The man slowly and silently opened the door to avoid being spotted, no doubt, by the audience inside but just as he had it slightly ajar, Wendy cried out, "Wait!"

The young man immediately whipped around and almost slammed the door shut as the audience inside the room fixed their eyes upon him.

"I beg your pardon?" He blurted out. "Were you addressing me?"

Wendy had already halted a few feet in front of him with her hands over her mouth, shocked by the way she had yelled into the room.

"I…I am very sorry." She nervously cleared her throat and looked up at the man. "I thought you were…" Her voice trailed off as she saw the face of the person now making his way slowly to her. Then, everything came back to her. The little details of her adventures in Neverland, the faces of everyone there, her promise with a certain boy… She remembered it all in one quick, overwhelming moment.

"Excuse me, miss but you look very pale." Came the familiar but strangely different voice.

Wendy realized she was staring, and looked away, flustered.

The playfulness in his eyes, the slant of his eyebrows…The way he speaks, and the curve of his lips. Indeed, he was taller–as tall as most grown men now–and had a more pronounced jawline. Yet, there was no mistake.

He was Peter Pan.

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 _To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

And here is the continuation of Peter's story! Hope you enjoy it:D Ah weekend is here, and I will write if I have spare time... anyways, R&R and stay tuned for more!

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Chapter 5

The morning after, Tiger Lily found Peter sleeping in the canopies of a tree. She quietly placed the flask in the hollow of the tree beside him. Quietly climbing down, she cried out to him from below.

Peter was dreaming. He saw the Lost boys fighting over a peculiar sword…he saw the other two Darling boys joining in…and last of all he saw a girl with warm brown curls. She did not seem to notice his presence at first and he was very tempted to call out to her. Something in his chest felt like bursting out and he knew that he would just scream out if he were to suppress that feeling any longer. But before he could do that, the girl turned around and smiled as she recognized his face.

"Peter!"

"Wendy." He exhaled, a surprised look on his face.

She walked over to him and took his hand in hers. "Peter." She called out again.

Instinctively, Peter took her other hand in his and gazed into her blue eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but words would not come out. His breathing felt shallow and his mind blurry.

"Peter?"

"Yes, I'm here." He finally chuckled lightly. What should he say next?

About how the Jolly Fairy looked like? About his new hat?

He initially thought that he'd be able to brag about his recent conquests, but now that she was right in front of him, Peter didn't feel like talking about Neverland at all.

"Wendy, I… Can't you stay here a little longer? You've missed so much more than you thought you would. You should've seen the look on the Indians' faces when I flew the Jolly Fairy right above the tips of their tents!" He laughed weakly.

Wendy did not respond, and instead, turned around to leave with all her siblings.

"Wait–"

"Peter! Peter!" She smiled as she gestured for him to come with them.

"I...I can't. I belong here." He shook his head frantically and unconsciously took a few steps forward.

"Peter! Wake up!"

Tiger Lily had been yelling at the sleeping figure for a while now even as he mumbled unintelligible things. When he finally woke up with a start, he sighed and grimaced. "It was you?"

"Of course it was. Who else is there?"

"Nobody." Peter quickly responded, feeling rather annoyed for some reason he did not understand.

"Well? Did you find the flask or not?"

"I did no–" His voice trailed off as he noticed a faint glimmer of glass on the right corner of his eyes. There it was; purple liquid in a small glass flask, perfectly concealed inside a deep hollow. If it weren't for the sun reflecting off the glass, he would not have found it.

"I mean…I did…I did!" Peter took the flask and soared into the sky, crowing.

"Now tell me, what does it do?"

"Don't bother asking me. I'm already upset enough that I lost." The Indian pretended to be very upset. What she really wanted was the pixie dust, and she knew that Peter would give it to her in order to know more about his potion.

"The rules are rules, Tiger Lily. Now you must tell me, as you have promised."

She tried her best to produce tears and ended up stifling a yawn. However, this looked to Peter like she was on the verge of tears, so he flew back down and stood in front of her.

"I know, I'll give you the pixie dust, but in exchange you have to tell me what the potion is for."

Tiger Lily pretended to seriously hesitate for a while, but then nodded reluctantly. Things were playing out better than she had hoped.

Peter nudged Tink, who was still sleeping a few branches above him with leaves wrapped around her little body. She yawned and stretched, not happy that he had woken her up. Without warning, Peter took the fairy in his hands and shook her, pouring pixie dust all over the place. Seeing this, Tiger Lily hastily took out her fortunately empty water pouch to store the falling particles.

"Alright, that is done. Now, out with your secret, princess."

"Fine." Tiger Lily looked irritated, as if she was giving out her entire life's secret to Peter.

"The potion stops you from growing up. You would stay the same when you drink it…even if you went to London."

Peter blinked several times, trying to absorb this new knowledge. This might be the best treasure he had ever acquired.

"Are you telling the truth? Or are your words all lies, Lily?"

"It is the truth." Tiger Lily noted the serious look on the boy's face. She had never seen him so intense over anything.

Peter on the other hand, noted Tiger Lily's sincerity. He had had doubts about what her intentions were from the beginning, especially when he saw her with a mermaid. But now that he saw the look in her eyes, he knew she was telling the truth.

"Then I will take your word for it." He said.

"Tink, we must tell Wendy and the boys what we have found! What say you on another trip to London?"

Tinkerbell looked at him in disbelief. She shook her head so fast that it made tiny jingling sounds. She then proceeded to cross her arms, stomp her leg and turn away from Peter.

"Aww come one, Tink! I won't grow any older as long as I drink this!"

Tinkerbell pouted and started to fly away.

"Fine! Then I shall go alone this time. Have fun being alone." He yelled towards the cross fairy.

"Well then, Tiger Lily, I shall be meeting my old friends for a while. See you later!" And with that, the boy flew higher and higher into the sky until everything turned dark and the stars all seemed to become one another in intertwining patterns.

As the Indian princess watched him go, she sighed _. Well, that part is done easily. I did not even need to convince him to leave. I guess he must miss them after all,_ She thought.

Peter soared into the night sky in London and breathed in deep.

 _I am here! I can see them again, and again and again perhaps…_

He thought of the flask and immediately flew down into Kensington Gardens where he sat down in the dark.

 _What will I tell her? Will she still remember me? Of course she would! And I wonder how the boys are doing… I hope they are still alive._ He smirked.

Then he took the glass flask and stared down into the purple liquid. "Well, first things first." Peter drank a mouthful of the potion.

He did not feel anything change… The drink tasted like nothing.

 _Perhaps it is just water? Did Tiger Lily lie to me?_

A few seconds later, the boy who flew from Neverland felt lightheaded… He then dropped down and became unconscious.

The next morning, he was found by an old married couple who did not have children of their own. They could never have their own child and so, took this sign as a blessing from the heavens and adopted the boy.

The boy remembered things about the world and could speak, but had no idea who he was besides his name; he could not recall anything other than his name and the place he was in.

They said that the married couple was absurd for taking in a stray. They said that the boy might be dangerous and was too old for a typical adoption. Even so, his good heart was not lost on the good husband and wife and they loved him like their own.

In the coming years, he would grow up to be a charming, well-educated, and wealthy young man who secretly revels in mischievous feats. He was well known for his wit, his natural good looks, and of course, his strange affinity to trouble. Whenever people ask him of his past, he would shrug them off for he was quite satisfied with the way things were.

Besides, the only thing he could remember was merely dreams of flying around and playing with other children. He had guessed that it was his time in an orphanage of some kind before somehow ending up in Kensington Gardens alone.

 _It must not have been a pleasant life before they found me…_ He thought _._

 _I must've run away or something like that._

As his seventeenth birthday passed, it became apparent to people that he will, in fact, inherit everything from his wealthy parents, being their only son and all. Due to this revelation, businessmen and other influential people had been inviting the young man and his family to their social gatherings in an attempt to be in favorable terms.

Daughters were introduced, and sons were sent to the same learning institutions. What they did not know was that the young man would very much rather be far away from them. Then again, what choice did he have? It was a mad world they were all living in.

And so, such was the fate of the boy who knew nothing of his past.

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 _To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for the encouragement! I was really motivated to keep on updating even in the midst of all my exams. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It took longer to write as things got busy. Will probably go back to edit some technical stuff later but oh well, *takes deep breath* here it is:)

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Chapter 6

Wendy felt the pounding in her heart drop to a slower pace as she inhaled deeply. _No. Peter Pan is in Neverland. He promised you he would return, but he didn't._

So, to stop herself from misbehaving in front of a young man, especially when she didn't trust herself to be "proper Wendy", the flustered girl muttered an apology. "I am terribly sorry, I mistook you for someone else…"

"It's fine." He breathed out, blinking, then offered a grin. "Though you do owe those people an explanation on my behalf. The looks on their faces! I'd say fishes with their mouths agape would very well describe their expression."

Wendy couldn't help but smile. "Maybe I will, but only after telling them about what you had just said. Seems like a fair trade, no?"

The young man raised an eyebrow and smiled back, amused, which made him look even more attractive with his wavy blond hair hanging to his eyes. Wendy felt her breath involuntarily quicken, but told herself not to do anything to embarrass herself.

"You look quite familiar…Have we met before, miss…?"

"I don't believe so." She blurted abruptly. "And it's Wen–"

Wendy was cut short when the theatre door opened and Mrs. Darling came out to the hall. She immediately spotted her daughter and gave a look of relief on her face.

"I have to go, but it was very nice meeting you, mister…?"

"Palliser. And you have not told me your–"

"There you are! I was worried sick. I thought you had passed out or something, since you said you weren't feeling very well."

"Oh, mother. I'm sorry, I just…took a longer walk that's all." She told her approaching mother, but her eyes kept returning to the young man who had nodded to her and politely left to return to the theatre.

Mrs. Darling noticed this and glanced at his direction too.

"Wendy, who was that?"

"He told me his name was Palliser… I thought he was someone I knew."

"Ah, I see. He looks quite…interesting."

"Does he? Well, I suppose. I bet nobody in London would have that sort of hair."

Mrs. Darling smiled gently and led them both back towards the theatre.

"Indeed. But that aside, I think he is quite handsome, don't you think?"

"Mother, please." Wendy grimaced to hide her blush, clearly not intending to continue the conversation.

Mrs. Darling, still smiling, patted her daughter's hair and quietly opened the doors to the theatre.

The play went on for another hour that night, and as it ended, Wendy immediately scanned the room for Palliser. She then caught herself and avoided doing so.

 _What is wrong with me?_ She thought.

 _Just because they look similar…_

A little frustrated at her own silliness, Wendy hurried into their carriage to the puzzlement of her family. She told them she was getting ill because of an imminent cold, probably spread around by her sick classmates. This managed to silence them out of their questions.

"Oh, I didn't even get to say goodbye to my acquaintances, but never mind that, let's get you in bed as soon as possible." Aunt Millicent said, a hint of disappointment in the tone of her voice.

Wendy thought about Peter Pan as she gazed at the night sky. The steady, repetitive sound of the carriage wheels oddly gave her a sense of calmness as she sorted out the old memories that had resurfaced earlier.

"What if" kept returning to her mind. The chance that her assumptions could be true made her close her eyes, breathing in deep to calm herself down. Of course, this only made it seem like she was really tired and sick in front of the other adults.

As soon as they reached their house in Kensington, Mr. and Mrs. Darling ushered her into her room and tucked her in, something they had not done for a while. After she was kissed goodnight and had her door shut, Wendy opened her eyes. She walked towards her window. It was not as wide as the one in the nursery, but could fit a grown man nonetheless.

As she sat on the windowsill, she recalled how she reacted when she thought Palliser was Peter. Wendy always imagined that she would be very angry with him and promised herself that she would give him a proper beating if he ever came back.

 _But when he never did, I guess my anger went away._

When she saw the captivating young man earlier, her heart had leapt in a way that it never did before. Everything about him made her quite cheery. In truth, she was exhilarated, as the sense of longing that she always had seemed to be relieved. And now she remembered what it was that she missed dearly.

A tear escaped her eye then. She wiped it off and shook her head to clear her mind of the impossible things she wished for. Growing up and marching forward into the future was what she chose, and she had no doubt that she'd made the right choice.

The sky that night was clear, and the moon shone like it did the evening she had her incredible adventure with John and Michael.

Wendy walked her weary self to bed and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

What she did not know was that the man she had met in the theatre was thinking about her in return.

He was struggling to remember where he had seen her before. When he first laid eyes on the girl, he thought he would lose the ability to speak. He hid his surprise very well though, as he was an expert at such things.

Peter Palliser was bewildered by his own rush of feelings that occurred when he conversed with the amusing brown-haired girl–he had had his fair share of flirting and shrewdly winning over the favor of other men, women, and children, but never was he as disorganized as when he was simply conversing with her.

Surely he must have seen her somewhere…

She did not look like the other girls of her age who he knew; She had an air of authenticity about her, unlike the pretentious socialites he found bothersome.

The way she talked and even the sound of her voice stirred something deep inside of him. But, he did not know what it could have been and had not stopped thinking about it ever since.

When the play was over, the first thing he did was to unconsciously search for a certain figure among the crowds. He never saw her though, as the irksome flock of babbling people who approached his family distracted him.

Alone in his stark room, Peter thought about the girl's warm smile… her familiar figure, and bright blue eyes…

She looked very lovely even in her plain dress.

He tried hard, again, to place her in his memories.

Yet, he never did recover any of his days as Pan when sleep took over.

That night, he dreamt about flying with children, as always, and found himself laughing–something that he had not done wholeheartedly in a long time.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

Proofread and revised some stuff! I wrote this a little too hastily last time since a lot of things had been keeping me busy.

not much change though, just a few rephrasing here and there.

Finally I can get some sleep feeling reassured!

* * *

Chapter 7

As the autumn leaves begin to fade away from sight, cold afternoons came and dark evenings made the stars dazzle even more brilliantly than they did before. One calm night, when the moon decided to appear round and whole, a grand mansion was brimming with light and sound. It was on this particular night that the Darling family had attended Charles Benmore's private ball to honor his grandfather's achievements, which included building the ballroom itself as part of their house. The ball really was only a means for his own daughter to find a potential suitor she could marry in the near future. Benmore's son was also a bachelor, but not as close as his sister to marrying age.

When Wendy first stepped into the extravagant house, she had to squint to adjust her eyes to the brightness of it all. The carriage ride only provided dark scenery dotted with street lamps. She gracefully made her entrance into the ballroom as taught by her teachers, and politely conversed with the people her aunt and parents introduced her to.

Wendy thought she could take a few short moments off of the fake smiles and refresh herself before having to dance with the young men already on her dance card, but it was not possible after all.

There were three of them, and all were introduced to her earlier by aunt Millicent. It seemed that she had planned well for the evening; she knew the parents of the boys and had already started talking to another group of people who were now glancing at Wendy's direction.

It was hard not to notice her though. Wendy, as humble as she may be, looked just about as fine as the other young girls in the room.

She was quite lovely, actually.

Her warm brown hair was half tied up in an intricate braid, and her lips were colored a tad more crimson. Her evening attire was a simple dark green dress that exposed her shoulders and highlighted the color of her blue eyes. There were no elaborate patterns on the skirt, but it had ruffles and a softer bell outline that gave it an elegant look, unlike the exaggerated bell-shaped skirts worn by most aristocrats. Indeed, Wendy was a lily among peonies.

By the end of her fourth dance, she had already accumulated two more people on her dance card and felt her smile fade. They were all very gentlemanly but the light conversations and polite responses tire her. She could not have said no to them, not after her aunt had so eagerly worked her way through the crowd. Wendy knew that aunt Millicent did it out of care for her, and that was enough reason for her to keep dancing and conversing with people she did not know. _For now.._.

 _Besides_ , _it is against the norms anyway to refuse anyone…_ Wendy thought.

Then when she thought she would finally finish dancing, with the sixth young man bowing and ending their meeting, another boy walked up to her. She sighed unnoticeably, and turned to smile at him.

"A pretty face should not have that tired expression, don't you think?" he said.

"I was simply a little thirsty from all the dancing." She reasoned. "It has been a very pleasant evening."

"Is that so? I am glad you think it is. My father would be happy to hear that his guests are enjoying the ball. He was very looking forward to this night."

The young man smiled to her and Wendy could not help but notice the envious glances other ladies were giving her.

"Could you be Mr. Benmore's son? I apologize terribly for not recognizing you right away." She had her hand close to her heart, a little surprised. The man gently took it and kissed her hand, then introduced himself as Charles Benmore's son, Edmund. His eyes told her that there was nothing to apologize for.

"Wendy Darling. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Benmore."

"Please, call me Edmund. We are of the same age, I think? I am a first year in Wilfred Academy."

"Well, it seems that you were right, as I am also a first year." She smiled.

Edmund stared at her for a quick moment and then offered a dance.

Their dance went on smoothly and it was one of the more pleasant ones Wendy had had that evening. Edmund Benmore turned out to be not as extravagant as his father and appeared quite modest. He was handsome in his own way with short dark hair and gentle eyes. And Wendy thought she quite enjoyed talking to him. He was rather refreshing, as most of the other men requesting their turns on the dance floor did not really pay attention to what _she_ was interested in or in her words. Some of them talked more about themselves than she would have liked.

With a satisfied grin, Wendy curtsied to Edmund as their dance ended. He thanked her for the dance and went on to greet other guests, sometimes glancing in her direction.

The night was getting late and even Wendy was feeling sleepy. She sighed again after a brief exchange with her father's acquaintance. She noticed other people also talking in less excited tones and took this as a chance to have a quick breath of fresh air on the balcony.

The calm crisp breeze calmed her exhausted mind. The moon was a beautiful orb in the velvet sky… She took a deep breath and let it out, closing her eyes.

"Quite a ball isn't it?" Came a voice behind her.

Wendy was too drained to even feel surprised then. She only replied without turning around, taking her time to reluctantly face the person talking to her. She did not feel ready yet to resume her role as the Darling's eldest daughter. "Oh yes, very lovely…"

"I would usually agree to that, but hearing your sigh made me think otherwise."

And then she saw whom she was talking to.

A little caught off guard, Wendy quickly apologized. "I did not think anyone would have noticed. I am deeply embarrassed." She blushed.

"Well, I for one, certainly had my fair share of dances. I had trouble trying to not step on anyone's foot, and I think I may have sighed quite a few more times than you did, miss." The man stepped forward next to her to join in on the evening view. He turned to her and smirked. "It is nice to see you here again."

Wendy could only look back at him for a moment before regaining her composure. "Mr. Palliser? I was not aware you were in the room earlier." She really didn't notice him at all. But then Wendy suddenly remembered another person other than Edmund Benmore who was always surrounded by people, never allowing her to see who it was beyond the circle of crowd.

"Well, if it wasn't for my dance card, I would have gone straight to the balcony, jumped down to the garden, and explored the maze." His blond hair was oddly neat, but not much shorter that it had been before. His face seemed calm, but his eyes were sharp and playful, betraying his gentlemanly demeanor. Wendy couldn't help but feel relaxed and nervous at the same time around him, especially since he reminded her of someone she admired very much.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was thinking the exact same thing?" She teased.

"Is that so? Then at least there will be someone else to blame for my unfulfilled dance requests."

"You still have people on your dance card? Don't you think you should go back? I understand it is very tiring but at least you could bear with it and just continue along. I mean, we were already tired, so why not-"

"You sound like my mother." He cut her off short but without any malice in his tone; like it was the truth and he had simply spoken it aloud. Wendy blinked, wide-eyed, and this made Palliser also aware of his forwardness. "I'm sorry, what I meant was…that is…"

Then Wendy genuinely laughed for the very first time that evening.

"I guess I do have a tendency to babble somewhat like a nanny!"

Looking utterly confused, then joining in on the laughter, Palliser looked at Wendy in a way that made her heart leap.

"I believe you've never introduced yourself properly, and I'd hate to talk to strangers, especially this late at night."

"The same goes for you, Mr. Palliser." She grinned back at him, trying her best to not blush at his enchanting smile. "I never knew your first name…but oh well, we'll fix that now." The girl stepped back and performed a playful curtsey. "Wendy Darling. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Wendy. That's a nice name…" He pondered for a while, thinking that he had known a Wendy sometime in his life.

Snapping his attention back to the girl beside him, the man introduced himself properly, "Peter. Peter Palliser."

He took Wendy's hand off the balustrade and kissed it. She never took her eyes off of his and neither did he.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

Hi all! Thank you thank you sooo much for the comments and for being patient:D Means a lot to a beginner like me!

I apologize for the super late updates but life has been keeping me busy at the moment. I found some time to squeeze in a chapter and to edit some parts of chapter 7. I hope to keep updating as often as I can so look forward to maybe more than one chapter updates in the future;)

So, here it is! Sorry in advance for any misspellings or errors. Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Chapter 8

When Palliser introduced himself as Peter, Wendy felt her heart skip a beat. It couldn't be…

For a second, she forgot how to breathe.

And as her hand was kissed, she could only keep her eyes on his, trying to make sense of everything she had doubted before.

Seeing her expression, Peter lowered her hand and raised his eyebrows.

"What's the matter? Did I offend you or anything of the sort?"

It took Wendy a few moments to find her words.

"Oh, Uh... no. Nothing. I was just thinking… how…familiar you are. Forgive me for asking but have we ever met before? I meant before the theatre…that is…" her voice trailed off as she looked uncertain about her own thoughts.

"I think n–"

"Don't you remember?" She blurted out, not letting the young man finish what he was trying to say. Wendy did not want to hear the words she clearly knew would come out of his mouth.

A little taken aback by Wendy's sudden change of demeanor, Peter ran through his mind to find something he could say to calm her down. She appeared quite distressed about something, but kept it concealed to a certain degree.

He thought about their first meeting and recalled nothing of the girl besides that particular memory.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what had gotten over me…" The girl regained her composure. She realized that she had appeared quite jumpy in front of someone she'd only met twice.

But perhaps it was more than twice. _I could have known him my entire life_ , she thought, _or my entire childhood, just to be precise…_

"Are you alright? I hope I have not upset you in any way. If we ever did meet somewhere, then I am truly sorry to have forgotten."

"Oh, never mind that! I must have confused you with somebody else." Smiling apologetically, she looked away to the dark skies, seeking solace from the intermittent throbbing in her chest. It pained her a little bit to imagine what it would be like if the boy she'd known as Peter Pan had so easily forgotten about her.

 _Would it feel just like now? Is this what it's like to be forgotten?_

Peter Palliser might just be another boy who looked like Pan–the real Peter Pan would still be somewhere in Neverland, chasing clouds–but her heart would not let her think otherwise. And for that reason, her mind and heart refused to cooperate, making her all the more disoriented.

Without realizing, her hand was gripping the balustrade and Peter Palliser took notice of her uneasiness.

"Ms. Darling, are you sure you're alright? Pardon my forwardness, but would you like me to accompany you on a stroll down the garden to ease your mind? Or would you like me to leave?"

Turning back to Peter, Wendy took a deep breath and silently let it out before replying. "No, but I think I'm ready to go back in."

She needed to distract herself with the political smiles and pointless chitchat.

"Very well then." Peter grinned, still wary about the possibility that he had upset the girl. Being very perceptive, perhaps due to the countless of times he observed the behavior of his fellow elites; Peter noticed that Wendy had been avoiding his eyes for a while now. Her constant shifting and uneasy glances made him feel a little miserable himself. He did not want their meeting here to end on bad terms even if he was not the cause of it. For some reason, this girl with her long brown locks was very interesting to him. She was different from most of the young women he knew. Certainly, she was elegant, unpretentious and lovely and…

"I will take my leave first, then. Good night, it was very nice to have met you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening."

Peter snapped back out of his thoughts and regarded what Wendy had said. She gave him such a wistful smile that something moved him to not let her go just yet.

"Perhaps you would like to join me on the dance floor? That is to say…Shall I have the honor of dancing with you? Just for this set, of course."

He did not know what had possessed him to ask her–someone he hardly knew and had probably upset–for a dance when he still had so many on his queue to fulfill.

Peter was about to open his mouth to withdraw his invitation when Wendy looked up to him and nodded. "Why not?" She seemed a little hesitant at first, but their eyes met and he thought he'd never seen anything more brilliant.

Without a word, he offered his arm and escorted her into the ballroom.

The music ended and a new Waltz set began. Peter took Wendy's hand in his own and even with their white gloves on, she could feel his warmth.

"Are you sure about this?" Wendy turned to face the boy next to her who had reassumed his air of charm in the presence of other socialites. "People will be talking. I can lie and tell them I didn't know you had other people on your dance card, but you can't refu–"

"Wendy." He gave her such a firm gentle look that she was speechless. It told her that it didn't really matter to him. "No need to think about that, it is of little importance to me." A smirk appeared on one corner of his mouth. "For now, just dance for the sake of dancing, unless you'd rather not do that with me. When else would you have the opportunity to do so?"

"No, I didn't mean –" She stopped herself and let out a small giggle. "Very well. I'll try to enjoy myself seeing how confident you are that this dance would be pleasant."

"Oh, I assure you, I promise I will not step on your foot if you don't step on mine." He smiled.

Wendy smiled back and let herself be led towards the dance floor.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

Surprise! another chapter:D

Why so soon? To make up for all those late updates of course!

Hope you're all glad that this one's here :) If not, then feel free to save it for a rainy day LoL

Happy reading and thanks for the wonderful encouragements! –TheLonelybard

* * *

Chapter 9

"Oh, I assure you, I promise I will not step on your foot if you don't step on mine." He smiled.

Wendy smiled back and let herself be led towards the dance floor.

As the other pairs of people started to dance around them, Wendy felt somewhat stiff and guarded. However, as if sensing her discomfort, Peter loosened his grip on her waist while drawing her near to him. This way she would shift her attention more to him, her dance partner. Peter felt the girl ease into his arms a little, and whispered in her ear. "Not so bad, is it?"

Wendy was about to reply to his remark, but when she finished her twirl and turned her gaze to him, she took note of how close their faces were. This not only caused her to inhale a sharp intake of breath, but also gave her the satisfaction to see a wide-eyed expression on the usually composed young man. Her smile faded and she pretended to look behind him, trying to hide her blush. Peter himself did not say anything for a while. She could feel his struggle to find something to say as she too was struggling to find any words that would lift them out of the silence.

Wendy cleared her throat lightly and as soon as she uttered words that sounded something like "you know", Peter had also said "I think..." Both of them laughed softly and felt relieved as they realized that there was no need to feel as awkward as they have felt.

The girl smiled as she treaded nimbly on her floor, turning and twirling while being led by Peter. He had not experienced such playfulness from a young woman and felt as if the ballroom was theirs and that the people didn't matter. T _hey are all just trees that crowd around us... and we are dancing on a forest... there are bright things like fireflies around us to illuminate the way and our feet are so light they're floating above the forest ground..._

Somehow, his imagination felt more like a dream. A very clear dream at that.

He could not recall when he had experienced such a dream.

The music went on and the two youths exchanged mirthful remarks, catching the eyes of the crowd around them. The attention drawn to them was partly due to the piercing glances of young ladies who were waiting for their turn with Palliser, and partly because the two seemed to enjoy the dance so much that they had forgotten that they were even other people in the room. Their constant conversation and lively dance stood out from the rest of the pairs.

Aunt Millicent had noticed too of course, and was rather astonished at her niece's dance partner. She had not even thought about the Pallisers and yet, here Wendy was, dancing with their only son!

The music soon died down and the people on the dance floor had bowed to each other, concluding the set. Wendy felt flushed from the restrained laughing and dancing, and now that their turn had concluded, she took in her surroundings once more. It would be unsightly to show others her warm cheeks, as she was sure that they were bright pink. Peter looked equally flushed as he too, had animatedly danced and kept their conversation going.

Wendy sensed that Peter also had the same thing in mind when she noticed him examining her face like she did his. Still holding her hand in a way that meant he was escorting her back to the sidelines, Peter changed directions and headed towards the balcony once more.

"Mr. Palliser, don't you think it might be better if we head somewhere else?"

Understanding what Wendy meant, he replied, "I know, we need to cool ourselves but going off together might not be the best idea after all…unless you suddenly feel faint and need some air in the balcony again."

"I see your point there, but those people would not know that."

"Allow me to handle that…Ah, I hope the fresh air will revive you, Ms. Darling! It is normal to feel dizzy after such a long dance. " The tall blond spoke a little louder so he would be heard by those in their proximity. They proceeded to the balcony where Peter had already recovered to his old sharp self. Wendy felt quite envious of the fact that he was able to do so.

"I guess this is where I leave you. I shall now commence my duties as a Palliser and sacrifice my feet to those who await me in the ballroom."

Wendy could not help but chuckle to his statement. "Very well, Mr. Palliser. I thank you for the dance and for accompanying an average young lady like me. It has been a very delightful evening." She beamed.

Peter felt reluctant to retrace his steps back to the reality that was, as if, designed to tire him once more. He utterly enjoyed spending his time with this girl and would not mind if they had met again in future occasions.

"You are not just an average girl, Ms. Darling. You managed to dance your way without even stepping on my foot once and that means something to me."

"Oh, stop! You'll make my face even worse than before. That would beat the purpose of why we were here in the first place, wouldn't it?" the girl replied, grinning wholeheartedly.

"I suppose so." He raised an eyebrow as if thinking about something very difficult to come to terms with.

"And for the future…" The girl abruptly started, "If, in any case we meet again, please call me Wendy. I prefer it when I am not Ms. Darling all the time."

"Then you must call me Peter as well."

"Alright, _Peter_." Wendy replied playfully. However, as soon as she said it, she felt something stir within her. Being able to call a person by that name again oddly contented her.

Indeed there was something about addressing her by her first name and letting her call him by his, Peter thought. Strange how something so simple could feel so profound. Or perhaps it was his own strange way of thinking that led him to think it was…

Their exchange was cut short by the sudden change of music that signaled a new Polka dance set. The young man looked at the girl one last time before bowing and stepping into the glittering ball once again.

Now alone, Wendy leaned on her elbows on the balustrade and gazed into the night with a small grin on her face. Aunt Millicent and the Darling family would have to bear with her "fatigue" for the meantime.

She knew she'd have to return to the world once again, but for now...the stars have never looked brighter before, especially the second one to the right.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	10. Chapter 10

Wow, things have been overwhelming this past year, and I honestly didn't have any time for myself. Books were gathering dust on my shelves and stories were left unfinished. Sorry for the long disappearance! I intend to keep this story going at about an update every 2 weeks starting now, but if anything unexpected happens again, I might have delays in updates. And lastly, thank you SO MUCH for staying with the boy who knew how to fly after all this time:) It means the world to me to read your comments and have your encouragement. At any rate, I'm starting off slow with the story so here it is! enjoy~

-TheLonelybard

* * *

Chapter 10

Another day passed by with the barest hint of snow. The sun hung low in the sky and the clouds scattered as if blown away by a cannon.

 _That's funny_ , Wendy thought. She thought she'd seen a similar scene long ago.

Her classes had just ended and she was staring out the window, as usual, watching the sky turn navy blue.

"Wendy! We are visiting Mrs. Mather's dress emporium after this. Want to join us?" Said Lizzy, a tall girl with wild blond curls who had been closest to Wendy ever since they met on the first day in Alford School for Girls. These days however, Lizzy had been associating herself more and more with the Dunton twins who introduced her to the world of the elite.

"Hurry now, Mrs. Mather's open only until six and we want to make the most out of our visit."

"Oh, yes Anna! Imagine if we found the one perfect dress for the party next week."

"Danya, I told you so many times before…don't wear anything similar. You'd make me look just like you!"

"But I _am_ just like you, Anna. Besides, I wanted a green one and you wanted red." And with that, Danya lifted her chin and turned to leave.

Anna, the older twin, went after her, rolling her eyes.

Seeing this, Lizzy immediately went after them with a sparkle in her eyes. She then suddenly paused and turned to Wendy, "Come with us! You don't have anything to do anyway."

Wendy had an indecisive look on her face and stood up from her desk, ignoring the other girls bustling out of the room.

"Please?" The fair-haired girl pleaded with big brown eyes.

Wendy smiled in defeat. "Oh, fine if that's what you want. I might leave before you though; aunt Millicent expects me to be home at five tonight to plan for some occasion."

"Really? What sort of occasion?" Lizzy raised an eyebrow, catching up with the twins. "I bet it's the same party Anna and Danya are attending next week!"

"I surely hope not…" Wendy mumbled. The twins were already a hundred feet ahead of them.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Wendy grinned, "Let's catch up to them shall we?"

As the sun continued to set, the twins continued with their invasion of Mrs. Mather's emporium. They had demanded to see every new piece of red and green dress the shop had and had tried on the twentieth set of clothing by the time the stars began to appear.

Wendy was contemplating leaving right then just as the twins were changing again, but Lizzy's enthusiasm in being involved in "girl matters", as she had called them, made her a little reluctant to leave just yet.

"Just what is so special about this party that the twins wanted a new stylish dress for? They are barely satisfied with anything here and this is the biggest _emporium_ in town." Wendy commented with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, it's not entirely their fault. I mean, it's the Pallisers' party, why wouldn't they be excited for it? It's not like I get to go, I wasn't even invited and…"

For Wendy, Lizzy's voice slowly faded into the background the moment she mentioned the Pallisers. And just before she could say anything, the twins burst out of the changing room and were both arguing. "No! This is _my_ dress, I found it first."

"Danya, I'm the eldest and besides, you picked it for me so it is naturally mine."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! If anyone is to wear this dress it is me, and if anyone is to dance with me while I wear this dress it is Peter Palliser! Lizzy, tell me it's mine."

This set off another set of arguments and Lizzy could only watch in utter confusion at the quarrel in front of her.

Wendy, on the other hand, was lost in her thoughts. _Peter would be there!_

And with that, she felt several things at once; she felt her heart move a little, excited for no reason, and then quite disappointed that she was not invited. _I am not upset though_ , Wendy thought. _And I have no reason to be. I'd rather stay at home and read a good book or have an evening stroll in the park._

Despite what she thought, Wendy felt a hint of gloom in her heart.

Suddenly tired, she told Lizzy that her time was up and that she should walk home with her. Lizzy contemplated for a second and decided to stay. In truth, the blond girl had never been to any balls or social gatherings. And because she did not have rich parents like some of her peers do, she'd always wanted to experience the daily events of the elite society herself.

Wendy understood this, of course, and left with a small smile.

Out on the streets, the streetlights laminated the way. Wendy walked down the cobblestone path, glancing up at the half moon.

Arriving at her house in Kensington, Wendy tiptoed her way up the stairs, planning to evade the chat with aunt Millicent. However, as if reading her mind, aunt Millicent appeared from on top of the stairs. "Ah, Wendy sweetheart! I have been waiting for you to come home. Let us all have some tea downstairs."

Wendy smiled enthusiastically, hiding her intention to escape.

Once the Darling women were seated at the table, Aunt Millicent began telling Mrs. Darling about the upcoming occasions that they should attend. Wendy objected once during their 'meeting' for having too much schoolwork and ended up with two less events.

"Then it's decided! You will be attending the Christmas ball, the tea party with all the ladies, and the birthday party next week."

"A birthday party? Next week? That is quite soon, don't you think? Wendy might not have something to wear." Mrs. Darling commented.

"Well, we will have to find her one soon then!" aunt Millicent dismissed.

"And whose birthday is it, aunt Millicent? Must I give them a birthday present?" Wendy asked.

"My dear, it is someone you know." She winked at the girl. "The person even wrote to you himself with a very endearing note attached to the invitation."

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	11. Chapter 11

_As promised, here is the new chapter! Thanks for waiting and sticking around all~ I can't wait to finish up the next chapter;) Again, I apologize if there are errors._

 _–TheLonelybard_

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Chapter 11

 _Is it Peter?_ Wendy could not help but think.

However, when aunt Millicent handed the invitation to her, she saw that it was from Edmund Benmore, the polite young man who had danced with her not too long ago.

Trying to shake off her unwelcome disappointment, Wendy started to read the short note, which told her that she was a very welcome guest and that her attendance was highly anticipated.

Aunt Millicent looked proud of her and began to talk more and more about preparations for the girl. "It would seem that the prestigious Benmore family likes our acquaintance. We must not disappoint."

Later that week, Wendy was standing in the exact same dress emporium, having her measurements taken. She was having two dresses made for the events happening the next few weeks and since Mrs. Mather knew aunt Millicent personally, she agreed to give them a fair price if they bought two dresses.

That night, the tired girl climbed into bed with ribbons still on her soft brown hair. She was too jaded to even comb her lovely locks. Her thoughts flew to the time when everything was simple… when pirates and princes were part of her world…

She wanted to at least be doing something more with her life now that she is quite grown up. Instead, a life of endless parties seemed to be the apparent future.

A sudden gloom crept into her chest at the thought. She then surrendered her mind to wander to thoughts about Peter Palliser, as she had done for the past few weeks. It seemed that she could not get him off of her mind. Mostly because it intrigued her that he seemed so familiar _. Just like Peter Pan from Neverland, the old bedtime story she used to tell her brothers._ Even so, she believed deep in her heart that he was real and that they shared memories in Neverland. She remembered some of their bold adventures and smiled.

As Wendy started to drift into a dreamless sleep, a flicker of warm light appeared yet again outside her white bedroom window; the light sometimes floated outside her bedroom on warmer nights and was usually gone in a few minutes. Tonight, it had caught her attention since her day was nothing but dresses and dance lessons.

The bright yellowish bubble flickered once as Wendy approached her window.

 _It looked like a firefly_ , She thought.

 _Strange. What was a firefly doing here on its own?_

And just as she thought that, the creature's light faded and it flew away. Unsatisfied, Wendy opened her window, welcoming the cold night air, and looked towards the tiny creature. She saw wings fluttering in the dry wind, and squinted to see further… But all she saw were little limbs on the insect. They looked odd though, almost like–

The moon, revealing itself from the clouds, cut off the girl's thoughts.

It was a full moon!

Wendy could not help but smile.

She leaned her head on her palm, which rested on the windowsill.

She then let her imagination run wild, weaving old stories about flying ships and bloodthirsty pirates in the night sky. And then, there he was: Peter Pan and… and his loyal friend… who was it again? A pixie! Yes, a feisty little pixie. Her pixie dust left a faint trail in the air as Peter battled against Captain Hook, his archenemy.

Just then, a gust of wind blew into Wendy's room. Shivering, the girl sighed and climbed into bed.

Then, remembering that her window was left open, Wendy grumpily strode across the room to close it. Just as she did, something climbed on her toes.

She yelped and ran into her bed once more, thinking that a spider had climbed on her feet. Turning on the table lamp, Wendy examined the floor of her room in search of any small critters. She saw the glimmer of a pair of tiny wings.

 _The firefly!_ She thought.

The strong winds must have swept it back here.

Quietly, the girl made her way to where she saw the insect. The pair of wings moved sluggishly, probably to get back on its feet… Feet?

Wendy could not help but rub her eyes. She saw a pair of legs hidden behind translucent wings…then arms…and a face.

It looked back at her with a very faint glow.

"Hello there." She whispered to the pixie, unable to think of anything else to say. The girl could not believe her eyes! A pixie, right in front of her, in her bedroom!

"No, this can't be. I must be dreaming!" The girl laughed weakly at herself. "You must be my imagination. Oh heavens, I must be too tired today."

Just as the words came out of her mouth, the tiny creature in front of her seemed to grow paler. It hugged its arms as if very cold.

Seeing this, Wendy reached out to touch her. What she felt was skin as real as her own. Startled, the girl took a few steps back… But, the pixie seemed to glow brighter then.

As it dawned to Wendy that the tiny person in her room was not a figment of her imagination, she whispered more to herself than to anyone in particular, "You're real. A fairy. In my room… I can't believe that I actually believe this."

Tinkerbell looked up. She stood proud and faced Wendy without any fear or malice. Relieve washed over the pixie. She had travelled so far… been through so much…

Wendy looked into the pixie's eyes. It then made voices that tinkled like bells. Tinkle… Tink… "Tink!" She shouted. "Tinkerbell! I would never– Are you…I don't know what to think! You're here. And real. And alive, and…and you're alone." Her voice trailed off. She realized that if Tinkerbell was real, then chances were, Peter Pan…

As if hearing her thoughts, Tinkerbell started furiously talking and odd enough, Wendy could understand bits of what she was saying.

Wendy picked her up into her palm, her tiny hair bun bobbing as she ranted about how hard her life had been ever since her friend left her. She talked about an evil mermaid deceiving her and her dear friend, and how she was captured until a few weeks ago when she quietly escaped and travelled all the way from Neverland alone to find him.

She suddenly stopped telling her story to demand that Wendy announce that she did believe in fairies. When Wendy did, Tinkerbell's light shone brighter and warmer. She smirked. The pixie complained about how nobody in London seemed to believe in fairies and how hard she had tried to reach Wendy and Peter.

"Wait, hold on there. Did you say Peter? As in Peter Pan? Here, in London?" Wendy felt her heart skip a beat.

The fairy nodded and gave Wendy time to let everything sink in.

Everything I thought was a dream really happened… And something seemed to have transpired while I was here, busy growing up.

And Peter Palliser! He must be Peter Pan; I can feel it in my bones.

No wonder.

It was all very overwhelming. And to be honest, Tinkerbell was not slow in telling her part. Wendy's mind went into a series of flashbacks, where she had her first meeting with a brilliant boy who taught her how to fly…where she thought she was missing someone who never existed.

Wendy then giggled, followed by a hearty laugh. She brought Tink close to her face for a hug and kissed the tiny thing on the head. Tinkerbell looked rather annoyed, but chose to smile back at the human girl.

Their conversation ran late into the night as Tinkerbell explained her current predicament to the wide-eyed girl. _After all this time_ , Wendy thought.

Something that she couldn't quite explain came over her heart; something that felt like a mix of realization, hope, fear, anger, nostalgia, gloom, excitement, and most of all, happiness.

With Tinkerbell still on her palm, the blue-eyed girl stood up, her back straight and determined.

"Well, then. What do you propose we do, Tink?" 

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_To be continued..._


	12. Chapter 12

Hello again! I sincerely apologize for the long update this time, but a lot happened and I was not able to post new chapters. Thank you so much for bearing with me and for waiting! I was extremely happy to read your reviews:) Well, now I am back to the usual schedule~ Enjoy, and get well soon for those who are still caught in the winter cold!

P.S. To make up for the lost updates, I will try to post another chapter this week.

–TheLonelybard

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Chapter 12

That same night, in another part of London, Peter Pan was awake. He could not stop thinking about his past. He never wondered how he'd lost his memories or who his real parents were…but meeting Wendy Darling left him feeling unsettled, as if something had happened between them…As if they had met before.

Peter dreamt about the girl on many of the nights after they had met, which surprised him since he never really cared for girls or marriage. His parents seemed to have noticed his changing mood and thought it had something to do with his upcoming birthday party. Peter wanted to invite Wendy Darling, but also feared that their next encounter would leave him even more doubtful of his past. There was something about her blue eyes and soft curls that stirred a deep memory…

In the end, he never did invite her and thought it was best for them not to meet again. Even so, he felt oddly unsatisfied.

Not being able to fall asleep, the tall young man went outside to his balcony. He fell into this new routine since many nights before.

The balcony was in the part of the mansion that overlooked a small meadow, which led to a narrow forest.

Beyond that forest was a house that had very tall chimneys. Peter had never ventured that far beyond, but had heard rumors of an old lady living there since who-knows-when.

He thought about exploring his own territory someday; maybe build a secret hideout or two. His friends and parents would never understand. He'd be called childish for wanting to have his own way and ignore the social elite.

Standing there, tall and proud, the young man envisioned a future where he could be the person he truly was. He would wander lands, perhaps challenge a king to a sword fight, and soar through the sky…

The moon then emerged from the velvety night, the clouds parting like a curtain to reveal shining stars.

The girl, still in her long nightgown and warm blue robe, floated into the air as if she weighed nothing. _Faith, trust, and pixie dust…_

Wendy remembered everything as if it was yesterday. She suggested to Tinkerbell that they meet Peter the next day, but the fairy could not wait. After all, she had been waiting for years.

The feeling of flying was indescribable. How could she ever have ever forgotten! It felt so real yet so imaginary, pleasant yet thrilling.

The houses and chimneys under her looked like miniature toys, and the moon and stars never looked closer.

She then passed Big Ben, laughing in the wind, ignoring the cold breeze.

Tinkerbell was her guide that night as Wendy landed on the roof of the Palliser mansion. They both looked down to see a person standing on the back balcony. As she lowered herself down to approach the figure carefully, she saw his form silhouetted against the cool light. The fair-haired boy was staring blankly into the sky, deep in thought.

Wendy tip toed on top of his bedroom window and floated down behind him, light as feather.

Startled, Peter turned around.

He could not believe what he was seeing. After some deliberation, he went to the girl to take her hand as her bare feet touched the cold granite. With her soft brown hair floating in the wind and her gown gently billowing, the girl in front of him looked more angel than human. "Wendy…" He whispered, unaware of his quickening pulse.

The girl beamed with warmth that reached into his beating heart. He must be dreaming! The sleepless nights have finally caught up with him and he was hallucinating.

"Peter!" She walked into his arms and held him tight. The boy could only blink in response at the sudden closeness. He felt his face getting warmer when she pulled away in a bright smile and tears in her eyes.

"Are you…a dream?" He asked quietly, never looking away from her.

Wendy shook her head and looked as if she had a thousand things to say.

"Then, how…?"

"I flew, Peter! Just as we did back in the days we were young. You took me and my brothers to Neverland, you taught me how to fly and–Oh, I almost forgot. Tink! Where are you? Do come out, don't tell me you're being shy after all this time."

The little fairy appeared behind Wendy, her glow a steady orange. She hesitantly flew in closer to Peter and floated in front of him.

The creature amazed Peter… He almost recognized her face. He knew he'd seen her somewhere. But where? And how? Are fairies even real?

The fairy seemed to grow dimmer. She noticed this too and looked at him with hurt eyes. "Peter, this is Tinkerbell. She was–is–your trusted fairy, a best friend who went anywhere and everywhere with you. She even tried to kill me once because she thought I was not good for you!" Wendy explained.

But all Peter thought about as Wendy spoke was how oddly accepting he was of the fact that he just saw the girl fly and accompanied by a fairy, no less!

Pain seized his mind in an abrupt wave and Peter lost his balance. He groaned, occasionally hearing Wendy's muffled voice.

"Peter! Peter, are you alright?" She kneeled beside him. The boy looked pale and had his head between his hands. She looked to Tink for an explanation, but she was as startled as Wendy was.

"What's wrong, Peter?" She looked at him and he saw small crease between her eyebrows. He thought it was pretty. That made him forget whatever he was thinking about... Just then, the pain was gone and Peter sat up slowly. Wendy noted the beads of sweat on his forehead.

"My head hurt, but it's fine now. I've had these headaches ever since I could remember." Wendy stared at him, demanding more explanations. "They sometimes appear out of nowhere even though doctors claimed I was perfectly fine." He continued. "I think it might be fatigue or lack of sleep." Peter got back to his feet and leaned on the balcony.

"Ms. Darling, to be honest, I am having trouble trying to convince myself that I should be a little more bewildered now, but everything feels perfectly normal." He turned to look at Tinkerbell, who Wendy lifted up onto her palm. The fairy told him that she missed him very much and that she was sorry that she could not come to him sooner.

"Peter… it might sound very weird and extremely bonkers, but I think you are Peter Pan." She paused to see how the boy would react.

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 _To be continued..._


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